Oakland, with the best record in baseball at 66-41, also received cash from Boston in another blockbuster deal by A’s general manager Billy Beane. The Red Sox also get a draft pick in a deal confirmed by both teams.

Lester is having an outstanding season with a 10-7 record and career-best 2.52 ERA in 21 starts. He’s allowed seven earned runs in his last eight games with 54 strikeouts and nine walks. But the Red Sox put him on the trading block because he can become a free agent after the season.

Yoenis Cespedes. AP Photo/Ben Margot

Cespedes won the past two Home Run Derbys at the All-Star game. He is in the third season of a $36 million, four-year contract he signed before 2012.

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AP source: Tigers acquire ace Price from Rays

David Price AP Photo/Chris O’Meara

BEN WALKER, AP Baseball Writer
A person familiar with the trade says Tampa Bay Rays ace David Price has been traded to the Detroit Tigers.

The person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet announced did not say whom the left-hander was dealt for, but Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson was pulled mid-inning Thursday moments ahead of the non-waiver Trade deadline.

The trade joins Price with Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, the past three AL Cy Young Award winners in the AL Central-leading Tigers rotation.

The deal comes just hours after the Oakland A’s got Jon Lester from the Boston Red Sox.

In other deals;

— Boston got rid of No. 2 starter John Lackey who has been dealt to St. Louis for fellow righty Joe Kelly and outfielder Allen Craig. Lackey is 11-7 with a 3.60 ERA in the fourth year of a five-year, $82.5 million deal. Kelly is 2-2 with a 4.37 ERA in seven starts. Craig is batting .237 with seven homers and 44 RBIs.

— The Red Sox have obtained third baseman Kelly Johnson from the New York Yankees for shortstop Stephen Drew. Drew hit .253 for the World Series champion Red Sox last year but did not accept a $14.1 million qualifying offer. Johnson is hitting .219 with six homers and 22 RBIs in 77 games and is on the disabled list.

— The contending Atlanta Braves have acquired infielder-outfielder Emilio Bonifacio (boh-nih-FAH’-see-oh) and left-handed reliever James Russell from the Chicago Cubs for catching prospect Victor Caratini. The Braves also got cash from the Cubs.

— The Miami Marlins were shoppers instead of sellers for a change at the trade deadline, and they added a starting pitcher to help make a playoff push. Miami obtained right-hander Jarred Cosart from the Houston Astros in a six-player deal Thursday. The Marlins also acquired infielder-outfielder Kiki Hernandez and outfielder Austin Wates for third baseman Colin Moran, outfielder Jake Marisnick, right-hander Francis Martes and a 2015 compensatory draft pick.

— Oakland sent pitcher Tommy Milone to Minnesota to reacquire outfielder Sam Fuld, who’s expected to help fill the void created by the A’s dealing Cespedes. The left-handed Milone asked to be traded after going 6-0 with a 2.62 ERA following his demotion to the minors. The Twins picked up Fuld in April after he was waived by Oakland.

— Baltimore has picked up left-handed reliever Andrew Miller from Boston for minor league pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez. The 29-year-old Miller has a 2.34 ERA in 50 appearances with the Red Sox.